Routines and Impossibilities
by Black'nBlue32
Summary: Mikan's routine is same as always Hit the snooze think about Natsume Get up Wonder where he is Make coffee Try not to cry Drink coffee Pray he's not dead Take shower hope he still loves her Get dressed Wipe the tears Do make up Dream he'll be back tomorow
1. The message that broke the routine

The routine is same as always. Hit the snooze, think About Natsume, get up, wonder where he is, make coffee, try not to cry, drink coffee, pray he's not dead, take shower, hope he still loves her, get dressed, wipe the tears, do make up and dream that he'll be back before the repeat of the dreary routine.

Mikan lies alone in the overwhelming king sized bed. The alarm blaring for her to wake up and start another day. Her daughters' tiny voices ring in her head with the questions from several years ago

_"Mommy?"_

_"Yes sweet?"_

_"Why don't we have a Daddy like all my friends do?" the innocent three year old asked_

_"Because, Kaiya and Kaori's daddy is special" Mikan forced a gentle smile as she looked at the twins. Kaiya was, as called by Ruka and other friends, the "Mini Mikan" with auburn hair and golden crimson eyes, always an upbringing spirit and always smiling. Kaori was little "NJ" short for Natsume juinor with her raven hair and crimson eyes. A quiet deep thinker, seemingly rude but always putting others first. Although unlike her twin who thought their daddy was a super hero. Kaori thought Natsume was a spy. An evil one too. Also unlike her sister, she had a few memories of Natsume, none to pleasent though._

_"How special?" Asked Kaiya eagerly_

_"He's on a secret mission to save the world. Every night he looks up at the stars and says 'One day I will be back home with my Kaiya-Chan and my Kaori-Chan' and he'll go to sleep dreaming of going home to his family. In the morning he'll get up and save the world and then once again looks foward to meeting his little girls. He almost came back once. ut the evil villain stopped him so Daddy Natsume has to continue to fight to protect his little one's" Mikan would tell the story. _

_Every night since then a different story was told about the adventures of Natsume as he tried to get home. Every night Mikan would try her best to believe the stories too. Every night Kaiya would pray that her daddy would make it back in the next story. Every night Kaori shook her head turned towards the wall to sleep with nightmares of fire and a man in a mask._

_About three years after the Natsume stories were born, Kaiya disappeared. They searched for days and days and the six year old girl was never found. __Friends stopped by every now and then to comfort the distrought mother and wife. "Mikan she can't be dead they'll find her!" Misaki and Tsubasa would assure her._

_"I bet that Natsume has her for just a little while and they'll both be back soon enough!" Ruka comforted her_

_"She'll be fine, Mikan, she's like you." Hotaru whispered_

_Months passed no sign of the girl. . . . No sign of Natsume. "Kidnapping" is what her friends called it "Murder" said others. _

_So Mikan and Kaori were left alone, but a month later Kaori developed her alice. Or I should say Alices. She showed signs of both the SEC and Fire alice. The academy wanted her of course. Mikan convinced the girl to tell no one of the powers and to never use them. _

Five years later, Kaori was now twelve and on her way to becoming a depressed but beautiful teenaged girl. She was definately her father's daughter.

Mikan went through the same routine waking up everymorning. The alarm clock went off and she hit the snooze and the flashback ran through her mind. She streached and got up, where is Natsume was the first thought in her mind. Where is my husband?The same answer came to her mind each time. I don't know. She hit the button on her coffee maker and leaned on the counter waitting for it to perk. She bit her lip and shut her eyes bidding the tears not to fall in front of Kaori. DING! The alarm on the coffee went off. She made herself a cup and sat at the dinning room table.

She bent her head and claped her hands. Her lips forming word but no sound coming out.

"Dear lord, please bring my wanderers back home to me safely. Bring me back my Natsume from his mission. And help my daughter Kaiya to be safe. Bring them home please lord andwatch over Kaori who reminds me far to much of Natsume. . . .Amen"

She finished her coffee and took a shower letting the warm water soothe her muscles. She wrapped herself in a towle and climbed out. Does he still love me? Is that why he hasn't returned? She hoped with all of her body, soul and mind that he still shared their love. She dressed for work slowly, deep in thought. The tears came finally, while in the privacy of her bedroom she silently whipped them away. After the flow of water from her eyes stopped she applied her make up.

Maybe, he'll be back tomorrow, before she has to go through this routine again. Maybe, he'll have Kaiya.

The next day after her morning flash back Mikan made the coffee. Tried not to cry succsessfully. Drank th coffee. Said her prayer, took a shower, cried a little dried the tears, did her make up and dreamed of his return. Although today, today there was something different.

Mikan walked into the kitchen and remembered that Kaori had spent the night with Ruka and Hotaru's daughter, Sylvia, named after Ruka's french mother.

She made herself some toast and took a bite out of it. All of a sudden flames appeared before her eyes. They were suspended in mid-air and formed letters.

"Polka dots." Soon this message disapeared.

Then another written in fire appeared again. "Help us."

Mikan dropped the jellied toast on the groun breaking the plate into peices "What kind of sick joke is this?" she murmured her eyes wide. Was this a joke?

Then another message appared, hurriedly scrawled in ice. Hahaoya. This translated to english means Mother.

The ice fell on the floor and shattered to peices.

"Oh shit!" She ran down the street "HOTARU, RUKA!!!!!!"


	2. Things that shouldn't be possible

So I stayed the night at my Aunt Hotaru's and Uncle Ruka's house to spend time with my best friend Sylvia.

"That's what she said!" Sylvia was mimicing the voice of one of the popular girls at our school, Sumire. She was named after her mother, I love her parents but her. . . . . .

"Ruka!!!!" I heard my mother's voice call suddenly "Hotaru!"

She burst into the room quite suddenly looking rather. . . . Crazy. Her hair was a mess, her hands were shaking, her eyes blood shot and she was panting.

Uncle Ruka (not my real uncle) rushed into the room. "Mikan-chan!" His voice was some where between shocked and worried.

"Ruka-kun!!" My mother ran half sobbing to embrace him. I never understood why the two were so close, but I still beat up a few kids who thought my mom was cheating on my bastard of a father. How do I kno this so called Natsume is a bastard? If he wasn't he'd be here, and snap my mom out o the thought that Kaiya is still alive. I'm sorry but my sister's dead.

Sylvia and I looked up at them from where we lay on the floor. "Kids go." Ruka commanded his voice gruff.

We looked at them oddly but left the room none the less. Sylvia and I have these powers, Mom called them Alices. Sylv's is the power of shape shifting. Mine is that of fire and something called a SEC I have yet to discover what that means.

Sylvie used her "alice" to turn us both into cats so we could easily hear the conversation.

"Hotaru!" Called Ruka "Come here please"

The violet eyed women walked into the room and looked at my mother. I sware I heard her mumble "baka" under her breath

"Tell us what happened Mikan" Ruka said gently patting her shoulder

"Alice-pant-fire-pant-ice-pant-message-pant"

"What?" Asked Ruka

"Somebody with the alice of fire and of ice set her a message" Hotaru clarified

Sylvia and I exchanged a glance. "What did it say?" asked Ruka

"The first was in fire in mid air and it said 'Polkadots'" Mom answered "the second was also in fire and it said 'Help us' and the third was in ice it said 'Hahaoya' it looked like the user didn't have much training with their Alice because it quickly shattered." She rushed through her words barely pausing between them.

"Do you think-" Hotaru looked at her husband

"Natsume. . . .?" Ruka trailed off

"I don't know, maybe it's someone's sick thought of a joke!?" My mom sobbed as Hotaru and Ruka hugged her

"No. It had to be..." was Ruka's broken sentence.

"It was." Said Hotaru.

Sylvia turned us back to humans and the rest of the fragile conversation was lost to out ears.

**End of POV**

Sylvia stared at Kaori with worried and frightened eyes. Her best friend's usual expressionless face was still present. But her eyes were a much darker crimson, inside them was anger and hate. It didn't take a genius to notice that much.

"Kaori" whispered Sylvia. Who was actually very much like her father. She had his golden blonde hair and gentle attitude, and Hotaru's violet eyes and reservedness.

"That bastard!" Kaori yelled when they were far enough away from her house.

"Kaori." she tried calming her friend down.

"I can't believe someone would mess with my mom like this!" Kaori continued to rant

"Ori-chan?" Sylvia asked calmly.

"I mean she's half crazy! She thinks my father's going to come backa and that my twin sister isn't dead! Baka!" Kaori went on.

"Kaori-chan?"

"All of this is imposssible!!!!!!!!!!"

"KAORI!!!!!!" Sylvia finally screamed

"What?" Natsume's daughter breathed deeply, trying to calm down. In her hand appeared a flame as she breathed in the fire went up, as she breathed out, it dispeared.

Sylvia looked a the fire in her angry friends hand and touched her shoulder. Kaori looked at her and sighed closing her hand, thus putting out the fire. "I'm listening" she murmured

"You said all of this is impossible." Sylvia stated her voice still calm and gentle.

"Because it is." Kaori started to get angry again.

"You're forgetting something important." Sylvia turned herself into an eagle and flew in a big circle above Kaori's head. Then she landed in front of Kaori and tunred huma again. "Is that possible?"

"It shouldn't be" Kaori answered quietly

"A lot of things _shouldn't_ be possible. People _shouldn't _be able to control fire. People _shouldn't_ be able to read mind or control ice or the weather or tell the future or even have all animals love them for no apparent reason!" Sylvia said passionately "it _shouldn't_ be possible for you dad and your sister to be alive. . . But that doesn't mean it isn't"

"How do you know al this?" asked Kaori "How do you know about these different powers?"

"My parents--well dad isn't good at keeping secrets." Sylvia nodded "but, I wasn't supposed to tell you"

"Why not!?"

"The school our parents went to was for alices. That school will force everyone with an alice into it. They want the two of us. But mostly you."

As the two talked they were completely unaware of a raven haired man with a breaking heart in the bushes. "My daughter hates me."

"Oh well" said the masked man beside him.

**A/N Hey guys! I'm so happy! I got to reveiws 1 fave and three alerts on this story already! Thanks for the advice in the reveiws and thanks so much for reading this. Reveiw please!**


	3. Man In A Mask prt 1

"What are you talking about?" Kaori asked

"It's called Gakuen Alice, or Alice Academy. Our parents went there. They force kids with powers that are dangerous or powerful, such as SEC, fire or ice, to work as operatives." Sylvia answered.

"You know what SEC is?" She asked suddenly hurt her mother didn't tell her half of this.

"Steal Erase and Copy alice. I guess you could could steal my alice, or copy it or something. I don't know the details, but that's not important."

"So this Alice academy wants me because I can steal and erase any power?" Kaori was stunned by this new bit of news.

"Pretty much." Sylvia nodded "That's how it works"

Kaori bit her lip, her eyes widening with a new, outrageous thought. "Could Gakuen Alice have taken Kaiya? Wi-without telling anyone?"

Sylvia looked suprised. "I never thought of that. They say that a man in a mask named Persona who controlled the 'Dark Ops' kidnapped your Aunt Aoi, to make sure Uncle Natsume would work."

"A masked man?" Kaori asked suddenly interested. "What'd he look like?"

"No clue. Why?" Asked Sylvia

"No reason. You want to visit Youichi?"

"Youichi? Sure?" Sylvia was quite obviously confused.

"Will he tell us anything?" Kaori asked

"Tell you what?" asked a male voice causing the two girls to jump.

"Youichi-Chama!!" The tweens exclaimed

"Did you want something?" He asked

"Do you have an alice?" Asked Sylvia

"yeah what is it?!" Asked Kaori

"How did you find out about-" He broke off looking at them "Natsume was my Onii-chan back at Alice Academy."

"What was he like?" Asked Sylvia

"Picture Kaori as a boy" He answered "He was reserved and rude, he always thought of others before himself though he seemed selfish. Very protective of me, Ruka and Mikan-chan"

"I'm not him." Kaori said stubbornly

"Well we meant to ask about a guy named Persona" Sylvia changed the subject qucikly.

"No" was all Youichi said

"What why not?" asked Kaori

"Dangerous." Youichi looked around "You're father told me to protect you and you Okaa-chan, I'm not doing a good job of that right now."

"but, I have these dreams of a man in a mask, every night he'll grab a flower and it'll wilt and die and I reach out to stop him and everythign I touch turns to flames!" Kaori burst out suddenly.

"Does you mother know about these nightmares?" Aske Youichi.

"No. No one does" She answered

"Good." He looked at the two "as I used to say to Mikan-chan: go away stupid ugly girls"

Sylvia exchanged a glance as the man walked away "That was weird."

"Yeah" Sylvia agreed

"Sylv," Kaori had a dangerous idea.

"Yeah Kaori?"

"Don't follow me." With that the girl sprinted off her raven hair flowing out behind her.

"Kaori!?!?!? Ori-chan! Oi you baka!!!!!!! Get back here!!!" screamed Sylvia.

"Be back later. Don't tell anyone!" Kaori called over her shoulder

*****

"She is definately his daughter" Nobara whispered from the underbrush

"I want her" Said Persona

**A/N Sorry if I was all ooc for Youichi but he was like three in the manga so I didn't know what to have him do as an adult**


	4. Man In A Mask prt 2

I ran away from Sylvia's house not quite sure of where I was going. Run, two blocks down, take a left then a right half a block, down the alley and she was at her house. The place was surronded by a mysterious black cloud. The necklace mom gave me after Dad disappeared was glowing, me and Kaiya both had one a mandarin orange stone. I rushed into the building.

In tghe kitchen there was a puddle on the floor as well as toast and a broken plate, a slight scorch mark blackened the wall. Black fog still clouded my vision. I began to cough a pain striking at my chest.

"Kaori!" a male voice called sharply, it sounded like a warning

I walked to my room still coughing, the stone mom gave me was losing it's color. In my room I stopped frozen with shock. in front of me was. . . Me! Not me but someone who looked just like me but had her hair cut off at her neck wheras mine went to my mid back.

"Kaiya!" I murmured

"Kaori" was her response

She coughed and disappeared into the black fog. I looked around and realized that she wasn't actually there. My mind was playing tricks. This isn't me in denial it actually just the pain and the mist. I ran from my room to mom's her make up was spilled all over her vanity.

"Kaori!" The man's voice called again this time it sounded like it was in pain.

I ran out of the house unable to bare the pain. I was out in the garden now, the red roses were in bloom, the willow trees hung damp in the newly starting rain.

"You're a special girl Kaori." A different male voice called out this time.

"What do you want with me?" I growled baring my fists.

"Now now" The masked man emerged from the bush. "You can help me and I can help you."

"Persona" my breath caught in my throat

"You're mother is a hurting confused woman." He said kindly

"Don't talk about my mother like that" I growled

"My precious doll, I am merely rephrasing your own words" he stated taking off his right glove.

"I-" Had I really said something like that about Okaa-chama?

"No matter, you can help me and your mother, and I can help you and Natsume. We first must come to an agreement." He reached out and touched one of the roses. It denigrated in his hand.

I gasped at which he smirked. "What- What kind of agreement, Persona?"

"Oh you know my name?" He smirked yet again "No suprise. If you come to Alice Academy without a fuss and work for me and do every command. I-" he paused as he reached to touch another flower

The image of the picture in Mom's room flashed through my mind. A photo of her and a dark haired, crimson eyed man ooking at each other deeply in love. Under this very tree, in front of this very bush.

"Don't!" I reached out before he touched the flower. His sleave caught fire suddenly.

"my dream" my eyes widened in fright.

"You're coming with me!" he said suddenly snatching my arm

"Kaori!!!!!" The first male voice yelled protectivly a mand in dark clothes tackled Persona.

I snatched my arm away in pain. I heard a scream, did it come from my mouth? The house was now on fire, did I do that?

I looked at my arm which I felt a burning sensation on. A black spot was on my fore arm "oww" I moaned a little swaying to the side.

Mom's necklace fell from my neck and landed on my arm. The spot disolved, so did the pain.

I looked around as I collasped on the ground. Persona and the other man had disappeared

"Fire! Fire!" I could hear people yell.

Rain pounded on me soaking me to the bone. My fire can last through this?

"Kaori! Kaori are you alright?" My mother's voice came towards me, I got up and hugged her, nodding numbly.


	5. Enslaved Dark Abilities

"Well Natsume that girl is like you in everyway." Nobara said.

"And that scares me," The broken hearted man answered with a sigh.

"You scared Mikan. . . and Aoi, and Ruka, and pretty much everyone who cared"

"I know. . . ." He said "I wish both the girls were like Mikan."

"I don't." Persona suddenly walked into the cave like structure. "Mikan had high spirits through everything. So hard to be broken, so hard to control. . ."

"And Natsume wasn't?" asked Youichi.

"Well, I could grab any person off the street and Natume would do everything so I wouldn't hurt them." Persona mused "Mikan always had this annoying hope."

"Hello everyone!" Said Tsubasa gloomily as he stalked into the room.

"So let me get this straight, you have all of us from the Dangerous group except Mikan, Why?" Asked Youichi

"Now why would I explain such a thing?" Smirked Persona

"Because if you don't-" Natsume broke off.

Persona's lips formed a wicked smile "Ah, ah, ah." e chided "One wrong move from your hot temper Natsume and your darling Kaiya suffers for it."

Natsume glared at the masked man and sat down on a rock next to Tsubasa and Youichi.

"Youichi, I heard you talking to Natsume's other darling doll earlier." Persona continued. "That requires a little punishment of Mayumi." His black smoke filled one of the nearby cells which held Youichi's younger sister.

"No!" You-chan shouted then realizing his mistake sat down tight lipped.

"Exactly. Shadow here doesn't want anything bad to happen to precious Misaki either."

"So basically you have dirt on us all so we'll do your dirty work?" Tsubasa growled.

A young girl walked with with a medium lengthed angled bob reaching her mid-neck and peircing eye golden brown flecked with red.

"Kaiya!" Natsume shouted.

"Here you are, Master." The girl said emotionlessly handing Persona a drink.

Persona grinned "I've had her brainwashed, isn't it delightful?" He put his arm around the expressionless girl and took the drink "Thank you doll." he looked at Natsume's furious face with a smirk. "Even the proudest spirits can be broken with time. I've been working on this one for six years."

"You bastard, son of a bitch-" Natsume stopped short, fuming angrily

"I just got through to her this morning, though she almost returned to herself when that little twin of hers butted in."

"Don't talk about my Kaori!" Natsume shouted.

"Don't shout at me!" Persona answered cooly, slapping Kaiya across the face.

Natsume snarled at him but just bared his fist and sat back down. If I do anything now he'll just hurt her more, he thought to himself.

"What's the purpose in this?" Nobara asked calmly

"To use us? For what?" Tsubasa added

"Hurting others to controll us? This has been going on to long." Natsume growled

"Right Natsume I've hurt you deeply, you're sister, you're girlfriend, your father and your daughter. I am a dreadfully horrid person, Right Kaiya?" Persona smirked again

"You are of excellent character master." Said Kaiya "No one is as good as you."

"That's right." Said Persona "listen to your daughter, Natsume, she's a smart girl."

"I hate you, Bastard!" Natsume snapped. "You've been keeping me from my wife, my own daughter thinks I'm a bastard, she thinks her sister's dead, you've made everyone's life accoiated with me a living Hell!"

"It's my job" Persona smirked, an evil idea popping into his head. "Doll?"

"Yes, Persona-Sama?" asked Kaiya

"Kill him" He pointed at Natsume.

"Yes sir." She intoned, lunging at her father a murderous look in her eyes.

"You bastard!" Natsume yelled at Person, dodging from his daughter's kicks, punches, and ice. "You know I can't fight my own daughter!"

"Which is what makes it fun!" Persona smiled "I've spent much time training her alices over these past six years, she hated me but was yet so eager to learn."

"Alices?" asked Natsume, suddenly in a dark flash (if that even makes sense) Kaiya teleported in front of him and moved to stab him with an ice dagger. Natsume doged just in time so the sharp point only tore his arm.

"Kaiya stop!" A female voice suddenly shouted

They all looked up.

**A/N Oooooo Cliffie!!!!! Hahaha I wonder who it was???? Maybe oh IDK. MWAHAHA**


	6. Sisterly Spats

"Kaori! Kaori are you alright?" My mother's voice came towards me, I got up and hugged her, nodding numbly.

**End of POV**

She clutched Kaori's soaked body against her's. "Mom, Mom? I'm fine, let go."

"Oh sorry" Mikan released her daughter

"Mom I- I have to go" Kaori said suddenly.

"What?" Asked Mikan "You can't-"

"Mom, I _have_ to go." She said suddenly

"bu- Why?"

"I have to _go_" Kaori said gently.

"Where?"

"I don't know"

Mikan sighed "You'll come back." This was more of a statment.

Kaori hugged her mother, "Yes." She beamed "I hope" was added quickly under her breath.

Mikan flashed back:

"Nat- Natsume?"

"Mikan" He paused looking at his wife "I _have_ to go."

"Why- Where?" She tumbled over her words.

"I have to. I don't know." He said softy

"But. You'll come back" This was more of a statment than a question.

"Of course." He smiled and kissed her. "I hope." He added as an after thought.

"What do you mean 'You hope'?" Mikan Schreached

He kissed her again "Shh, you'll wake the girls. . ."

End of flash back**

"You will." Mikan said firmly.

Kaori nodded with a doubtful smile and kissed her mom on the cheek. "I love you."

"You too" Was all Mikan could answer as she watched her overly mature daughter sprint off with her long hair flowing out behind her.

Kaori wasn't exactly sure where she was going but running off for no apparent reason seemed to cause weird things. She dashed through the woods without a thought dodging trees, rocks, bushes and fluffy creatures. After she had run maybe a few miles away from her house she stopped to listen for the murmuring voices that just started.

She could barely make out what was said over the roar of the nearby waterfall. She crept closer to the cave that she was sure the voices were coming from. She saw several people she knew but something told her to keep quiet and listen

"I hate you, Bastard!" The man apparently called Natsume snapped "You've been keeping me from my wife, my own daughter thinks I'm a bastard, she thinks her sister's dead, you've made everyone's life accoiated with me a living Hell!" Was this Kaori's dad?

"It's my job" Persona smirked, "Doll?"

"Yes, Persona-Sama?" asked Kaiya. Kaori had to restrain herself from running to her sister.

"Kill him" He pointed at Natsume.

"Yes sir." She intoned, lunging at the man, a murderous look in her eyes.

"You bastard!" Natsume yelled at Person, dodging from his daughter's kicks, punches, and ice. "You know I can't fight my own daughter!"

"Which is what makes it fun!" Persona smiled "I've spent much time training her alices over these past six years, she hated me but was yet so eager to learn."

"Alices?" asked Natsume, suddenly in a blast of dark mist Kaiya teleported in front of him and moved to stab him with an ice dagger. Natsume doged just in time so the sharp point only tore his arm.

"Kaiya stop!" Kaori said firmly stepping into the cave

Everyone looked up at her, all the people in the room gaped at the girl whose eyes were bright and murderous surronded by a very aura of flame. "Kaori. . ." They all whispered awestruckenly. All that is except Kaiya, whose face showed no recognition what so ever.

"You'd fight your own brainwashed sister?" Asked Persona

"Of course" Kaori smirked lunging towards her twin.

The girls spun around fighting expertly. They'd strike at the same time causing Kaiya's ice to evaporate and Kaori's fire to go out. The two paused for a moment staring at each other, breathing heavily.

"I- I'll kill you Kaori." Kaiya stated plainly

"Kaiya-" Kaori broke off

"Don't make me kill you, Kaori." Kaiya took a step forward.

"Baka Basu" Kaori smirked

"What did you call me?" Kaiya growled

"You heard me stupid ugly girl." Kaori smirked

"Ugh!" Kaiya lunged at Kaori who moved a second before her twin tackled her, tripping Kaiya in the process.

Kaori caught Kaiya by the back of the neck just before she hit the ground. She helped her twin stand up and they stared murderously at each other, light seeming to eminate from each of their eyes.

Kaiya collapsed on the ground and Kaori ran away as soon as her sister began to fall. "Kaori!" Natsume called after her. But she was gone


	7. Drowning in loss of memories

"Kaori!!!" Called Ruka "Ori-chan? You're mother's worried sick!!"

Mikan had several people scattered about the woods looking for her daughter who had now been missing a day and a half.

"Kaoriiiii!" Called Koko

"Kao-chan?" Echoed Ryuu, Tsubasa and Misaki's son. The boy lived with his father because as far as everyone knew, Misaki was in college in the states going for some high degree, and Tsubasa often made buisness trips. I think you all know what really happened with his parents.

Ryuu heard a moan coming from the nearby river. "Kaori!?" He rushed over to the water's edge and looked around.

"Kaori?" he finally saw something black in the water, Kaori's hair. He jumped into the water and wrapped his strong arms around her limp body.

"Ryuu?" She groaned clutching at him.

"Hold on" He said through his teath struggling to get back to the surface.

He swam against the currant valiently and sat Kaori on the shore. "Kaori?" he coughed up water

"Ryuu. . . ." She opened her eyes. "W- what happened?" She coughed up a great deal of water and blood.

He rested his hand on her back "You almost drowned." He said

**Kaori's POV**

I woke up looking at my rescuer. Of course it was Ryuu, he always thinks I need his help.

"You almost drowned" He answered my question, resting his strong hand on my lower back.

I groaned and coughed up more bloody water. He waited silently. I looked up at him "But I wasn't by the water-" I stopped. Where had I been?

"Maybe you passed out and someone. . ." He trailed off.

"I remember. . ." What do I remember? "A- a cave. With all these people talking in it, I crept up to see and. . . well I don't remember"

"Maybe one of them caught you?" He sugested

"No. I went in, and I fought. . . I fought well." I thought I should add that last part "I don't know who though, then I did something to the person and al these people who were watching said my name."

"Kaori." He whispered in awe

"Yeah just like that" I acknowledged

"Kaori, you're soaking wet but yet your clothes a singed a little and you have a burn mark on your forehead." He told me.

"What?" I asked and moved to touch my face. I winced in pain as every muscle in my body protested that one small movment.

He put his arm out to steady me as I stood "You alright?" he seemed genuinly worried

"Fine!" I snapped

He pulled his arm away. "Can you walk."

I took a step and almost fell, my soaking wet clothes weighing me down quite a bit. He caught me before I fell to far. "Come on, let's find Ruka-san"

He put his arm around my shoulders and half carried me to the rest of the search party. Looking at Ryuu he seemed older than fifteen, he had a strong jawline and figure. His wet black t-shit clung to his faint six-pack, blueish black hair clung to his damp face. His dark blue eyes were clouded over.

I sighed. "You alright?" he asked again.

"No." I answered plainly

"Anything wrong?"

"Yes"

"What?"

I- I just. . . I dunno." I stated "I mean-"

"You mean?" he smiled and proded me to continue.

"I mean- I guess I saw something in that cave but I do't know-remember what." I sighed

"That's tough" He said understandingly "Here's the others."


End file.
